Top 50 Players In Baltimore Sports History: Countdown 5-1

2. Johnny Unitas, QB, Baltimore Colts

Nov 11, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; General view of the statute of Johnny Unitas before the game between the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny U has been consistently listed as one of the greatest NFL players of all time and is widely considered the best quarterback in NFL history. He was a record-setting quarterback and the NFL’s most valuable player in 1959, 1964, and 1967.  For 52 years he held the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (which he set between 1956–1960), until New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke his long standing record on October 7, 2012. Unitas was the prototype of the modern era marquee quarterback with a strong passing game, media fanfare, and widespread popularity.

Unitas was actually drafted in ninth round of the NFL Draft by none other then the Pittsburgh Steelers. In ’59, Unitas joined the Colts under legendary coach Weeb Ewbank. Unitas made his NFL debut with an inauspicious “mop-up” appearance against Detroit, going 0-2 with one interception. Two weeks later starting quarterback George Shaw suffered a broken leg against the Chicago Bears. In his first serious action, Unitas’ initial pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Then he botched a hand-off on his next play, a fumble recovered by the Bears.

Unitas rebounded quickly from that 58–27 loss, leading the Colts to an upset of Green Bay and their first win over Cleveland. He threw nine touchdown passes that year, including one in the season finale that started his record 47-game streak. His 55.6-percent completion mark was a rookie record. In 1957, his first season as the Colts full-time starter at quarterback, Unitas finished first in the NFL in passing yards (2,550) and touchdown passes (24) as he helped lead the Colts to a 7–5 record, the first winning record in franchise history.

Unitas was a part of “The Greatest Game Ever Played” in 1958, when the Colts beat the New York Giants 23-17 in overtime of the NFL championship game. He also won his first Super Bowl in 1971 when he and quarterback Earl Morrall split playing time to lead the Colts to a 16-13 last-second Super Bowl victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Unitas finished his 18 NFL seasons with 2,830 completions in 5,186 attempts for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns, with 253 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,777 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.